Cell Structure Flashcards
What is the function of the Vacuole?
- To keep the cell turgid
- Membrane bound sac to store organic and inorganic substances as well as waste
What are the 4 main features of the vacuole?
- Tonoplast
- High hydrostatic pressure
- Coloured pigments
- Large volume
What is the function of the tonoplast within a vacuole?
- Control entry/ exit of substances
- Compartmentalisation
What is the function of having a high hydrostatic pressure within a vacuole?
- For turgidity
What is the function of coloured pigments within a vacuole?
- To attract insects for pollination
What is the function of a large area within a vacuole?
- To push the chloroplasts to the outer edges for maximised CO2 and light absorption
What is the function of the cellulose cell wall?
- Strength and rigidity
- Fully permeable to solutes
What are the 4 main features of a cellulose cell wall?
- Strong composite structure of cellulose microfibrils within a pectin matrix
- Permeable network of cellulose microfibrils
- Middle lamella made of pectin
- Pits and Plasmodesmata
What is the function of a strong composite structure of cellulose microfibrils within a pectin matrix in the cell wall?
- To give the cell strength when it is turgid
What is the function of a permeable network of cellulose microfibrils in the cell wall?
- Allow substances to easily pass through
What is the function of a middle lamella made of pectin within the cell wall?
- To hold cells together
What is the function of the pits and plasmodesmata in a cell wall?
- To allow substances to move easily from cell to cell
What is the function of an amyloplast?
- To store glucose as an insoluble carbohydrate so it can be hydrolysed back to glucose when required
What are the 3 main features of an amyloplast?
- Insoluble starch
- Easy to hydrolyse
- Compact structure
What are the 2 reasons starch is insoluble within an amyloplast?
- So it doesn’t affect osmosis
- So a store is able to be maintained without leaving the cell
Why is the insoluble starch easy to hydrolyse in an amyloplast?
- So it can be converted to glucose when needed for reactions like cell wall synthesis, respiration.
Why does the amyloplast have a compact structure?
- So lots of carbohydrates/ glucose is able to be stored in a small space
What is the function of a chloroplast?
- To absorb light in photosynthesis for glucose
What are the 4 main features of a chloroplast?
- Contain enzymes in the stroma
- Contain ribosomes and DNA in the stroma
- Stacks of thylakoid membranes in the grana
- Double membrane
What is the function of having DNA and ribosomes in the stroma of a choroplast?
- So it can perform protein synthesis independent from the rest of the cell
What is the function of having enzymes within the stroma of a chloroplast?
- To catalyse the many photosynthesis reactions
What is the function of the stacks of thylakoid membranes in the grana of a chloroplast?
- Large SA for chloroplasts and therefore photosynthesis
Why does a chloroplast have a double membrane?
- Compartmentalisation
What is the function of the mitochondria?
- Aerobic respiration
- Release energy from glucose for ATP
What are the 4 main features of the mitochondria?
- Cristae
- Matrix
- DNA and ribosomes
- Double membrane
What is the function of a cristae within the mitochondrion?
- Large SA with enzymes for ATP production
What is the function of the matrix within the mitochondrion?
- Contain enzymes
- Contain the mitochondria’s DNA
What is the function of the DNA and ribosomes within a mitochondrion?
- To perform protein synthesis independent from the rest of the cell
Why does the mitochondria have a double membrane?
- Control the entry/ exit of substances
- Compartmentalisation
What is the function of the Golgi apparatus?
- To modify, tag and package polypeptides into new proteins